First of all, we've been hearing your feedback about the updated GUI, especially regarding the looks and feel it has, and we've been working on improving. Our artist did an amazing job on them, and I believe it fits the style and look of the game completely. Here are the new inventory, character and crafting screens:

Also, we took this opportunity to improve a few things regarding the crafting system. Here is how it works: You start by selecting a schematic from the list, once selected a partially transparent preview of the item shows in the slot with its base stats underneath. Next you select the material you want to forge the item with. The material types which don't have enough ingots will be faded and unable to be selected. Then, once you select a material, the preview will be updated and the stats adjusted to the type of metal you chose. Next you can select up to two techniques. One is unlocked at the start, the ability to add a second one comes at crafting level 50. To select them, click on the slots, and a list with all the known techniques that can be applied and their effect appears. The effect is dependent on your crafting skill, of course. When everything is final you click on the forge button to craft your weapon or armor. At this point the weapon/armor becomes fully opaque. So when you are finished you then manually drag the weapon/armor into your inventory (or it gets added automatically when you exit the screen). The forge button also doubles as the melt button when an item is placed in the slot. The forge button will display "melt" which you can then melt an item and receive its base material.

So, the system is very similar to what we had, with the only difference that the number of techniques that can applied to the items is limited. Also, you can't "upgrade" a weapon/armor. What you can do is melt it, and forge a new one with the techniques you want. Now, you may notice that we mention "schematics". Basically, they are the schematics of the different base items we have, that allow you to create a particular item. You can buy them at a shop, but don't get added to your inventory list (to avoid clutter). You buy them, and you get the "knowledge" of it, getting added to a schematics tab in the journal screen. The same goes for the techniques, they don't get added to your inventory but instead you gain knowledge of them.

Apart from this, we finished optimizing the character models and improving their looks, but weren't able to get it inside the game for this update. We also implemented the new critical hits system, expanded the dialogues with many NPCs, and of course, general bugfixing and polish.

On some other news, we created a new official ITS YouTube account, which will hold our videos from now. So head over there and subscribe to it right away! The old one won't be used anymore for hosting AoD videos (it was my personal account).

"A little while ago, a good friend's wife asked me what playing Dungeons & Dragons involved. Long story short, it turns out that it's basically improv without an audience or time pressure, and a lot of rules. Every time anyone wants to attempt something, it's basically subject to a referee. Who is incidentally trying to kill you. In a fair and impartial manner." - Priapist

Sure, when we the artist is done doing it. Like I said, this is not implemented yet, we are still creating mock-ups of it, seeing how it looks and feels and when we are happy with it we'll implement it. In this moment exactly Nick is fully implementing the new dialogue GUI (with portraits and everything), will show it when it's done.

Logged

"Hasta la victoria, siempre."

"Who has time? But then if we do not ever take time, how can we ever have it?"

Regarding forging (it might need a separate thread) :What are the benefits to forge ? Can you forge weapons that cannot be bought/acquired otherwise ?Are the forged weapons better then one you can buy ? (same class and skill)Can you make business selling forged weapons ? (in Gothic2 you could make a fortune from the start with this skill).

Regarding forging (it might need a separate thread) :What are the benefits to forge ? Can you forge weapons that cannot be bought/acquired otherwise ?Are the forged weapons better then one you can buy ? (same class and skill)Can you make business selling forged weapons ? (in Gothic2 you could make a fortune from the start with this skill).

The main benefit to forging weapons is the flexibility of being able to have the weapons tailored to your build. You can buy or find pre-crafted weapons (they use the same system), but the techniques they have might not suit your character. For example, you are a sword user and find a masterwork axe. You can melt it, and create a masterwork sword (with perhaps another technique added). To summarize, they are not objectively better than the ones you can buy/find, but you can craft weapons that are better suited to you.

I wouldn't say that you can make business, but yes, it's cheaper to craft them yourself and crafting add an added value that can be beneficial to character with good trading skills.

Logged

"Hasta la victoria, siempre."

"Who has time? But then if we do not ever take time, how can we ever have it?"